Ghana

A place to find community

Ghana at a glance

CapitalAccra

LanguageEnglish

CurrencyGhanaian cedi (GHS)

Extension238,535 sq km

Population27,000,000 (2014 estimate)

Ghana is an ideal place to explore fresh fruit and vegetable markets, taste the delicious fried plantains seasoned with chili pepper and ginger, and stroll busy streets in a country where the sun almost always shines. Women wrapped in colorful West African fabrics and people playing draughts (a game similar to checkers) in courtyards or cafés provide just a slice of the diverse Ghanaian people. There are 52 ethnic groups in the ten regions of this country—making it easy to find a variety of traditional festivals and ceremonies to attend.

Whether at the stadium or in front of TV, you’ll enjoy spending time with your friends watching soccer, volleyball, track-and-field, boxing, or basketball. Ghanaian dancing music is known as highlife, influenced by jazz and other Western music, played on guitars and horns.

Host Family & Community

Most likely you will live in Accra, the cultural and commercial capital of Ghana. Your family will probably be large, with several generations living in the same home or compound. Although Ghanaians tend to be laid-back, families may be quite strict with their children. You will find a strong sense of community and great respect for the elderly. Young people refer to adults as “auntie” and “uncle” (or “grandma” and “grandpa” for older people). Outdoor dining is popular, with families cooking meals and socializing in the courtyard.

Langauge

Having a good knowledge of English will be an asset for studying abroad in Ghana. You can also participate in language lessons provided by AFS, and will receive materials to study the language before the exchange.

Food

Food in Ghana tends to be hot and spicy, with ingredients like yams, maize, beans, plantains and rice. You should taste some of the street foods sold from metal bowls perched on top of the vendors’ heads. Popular Ghanaian dishes include fufu (a dough-like combination of plantains and cassava), Ghanaian red-red (beans, shrimp or prawns, red palm oil, and tomatoes), and custard melkkos (custard with cinnamon).

School

You may have a choice of high schools: an academic high school, a vocational or a technical school. Classes start at 7 am and taught in English, even though that won’t be the first language of most of your classmates. Your studies will focus on four core subjects: English, math, integrated science and social studies. After school and on the weekends, you will be encouraged to join a volunteer project.

Let AFS guide your intercultural adventure

Go abroad with AFS to discover who you really are, make new lifetime friendships and immerse yourself in a fascinating intercultural experience.

TEEN PROGRAMS (UNDER 18 YEARS OLD)

Our learning program will prepare you for an amazing AFS intercultural experience. The program begins at your home country with a pre-departure orientation and continues with orientations and other supported learning activities and facilitated conversations will help you maximize your experience, cope the challenges of navigating a new culture and community and gain knowledge, skills, and a global understanding, throughout your time abroad, and as you return to you home country. AFS volunteers will be there to support and guide you and your host family through your learning journey abroad.

ADULT PROGRAMS (18 YEARS OR OLDER)

The Global Competence Certificate (GCC) program will support your intercultural learning experience. This state-of-the-art program prepares you to successfully navigate new cultural environments—during your AFSNext experience and long after you finish the program. Online intercultural learning modules combined with in-person sessions help you develop practical and global skills, knowledge and attitudes that employers need and mission-driven organizations believe will help achieve their social impact goals. You will receive your certification upon completion of the training program.